Game PC - September 2007
Game PC
Configuration
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Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 | Processors |
| The Core 2 Duo E6750 is part of Intel's new range of CPUs with a 1333 MHz front size bus speed. The faster connection with the mainboard only a small speed increase, more importantly is Intel's drop in price for the new processors, which can only be described as huge. The Core 2 Duo already ruled the performance board, but has now become an excellent value for money as well. Most games don't support multithreading, which means there is little benefit in choosing an even more luxurious quad core cpu. Hence we pick the fastest dual core processor that still represents good value for the money, the Core 2 Duo E6750. | ||
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Team Xtreem 2 GB DDR2-1066 kit | Memory modules |
| A game PC should have 2 GB of memory. We advice DDR2-1066 modules, as the mainboard we selected offers excellent support for those. Our choice would be the Team Xtreem DDR2-1066 modules, which according to our tests offer incomparable potential for overclocking while combining this with a quite reasonable price. | ||
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Scythe Mugen (a.k.a. Infinity) | CPU coolers |
| The Scythe Mugen (previously known as Infinity) is the ultimate in CPU cooling according to our test results. With both excellent cooling capacity, leaving a lot of margin for overclocking, as well as a very quiet mode for those running their cpu at stock speeds, this CPU is the best possible choice in air cooling. | ||
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Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6 | Mainboards |
| Intel's P35 is the best chipset for current Intel processors. In all respects it is entirely up to date, offers excellent performance and a lot of options for overclocking. The perfect P35 mainboard is Gigabyte's P35-DQ6, with redundant 6 phase power supply to the CPU, heatpipe cooling and the high quality components characteristic of Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 2 product range. At this moment, the definitive product for overclockers and gamers. | ||
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ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT | 3D chips |
| Admittedly, ATI's Radeon HD 2900 XT is not the fastest videocard on earth, that accolade would go to nVidia's Geforece 8800 GTX or Ultra. However, those cards are quite a bit more expensive. Its price/performance ratio convinces us to recommend ATI's HD 2900 XT, which is fast enough to run most modern games smoothly without any problems on our chosen monitor. Should you want even more performance, the mainboard we picked has full support of a Crossfire configuration with a second HD 2900 XT. | ||
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2x Hitachi Deskstar T7K500 250 GB in RAID 0 | Hard disks (internal) |
| Few things are so annoying as waiting an eternity for the next level to load. That's why we elected to configure two harddisks in a RAID 0 array. The disks of choice are Hitachi's Deskstar T7K500 250GB drives, which our tests show to be very fast. RAID 0 will increase performance even more, and the total storage capacity of 500 GB should last you quite a while. | ||
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Lite-On LH-20A1S | Optical drives |
| These days most DVD writers are equally inexpensive, so why not pick the best? According to our most recent test, that would be Lite-On's LH-20A1H, which has the best score when we take speed, quality and value into account. For this system we pick the 20A1S version, which features a SATA interface rather than an IDE one. | ||
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Recom PowerStation Black/Blue | Cases |
| Recom's Powerstation case is according to us the ideal housing for a game PC. It has the requisite features of tough looks and ease of assembly, the latter is helped enormously by the way both sides can be folded out. It offers sufficient space for expansion and should serve as an excellent base for further mods and enhancements. | ||
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Gigabyte Odin GT 550 Watt | Power supplies |
| Gigabyte is a newcomer to the power supply market, but adds something new to their product range from the start. The Odin PSU's come with a software package to monitor energy useage, but it also features alarm options for crossing various thresholds for heat exceeding a certain temperature or voltages dropping below a preset minimum. If you want to have full control at a glance of your rig at all times, Gigabyte offers an external module shaped like a speedometer which you can attach to your screen. We selected the 550 watt model, which should be more than enough for the components we selected, even if you drop in that second Radeon HD 2900 XT later on. | ||
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Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer (FID) | Sound cards |
| Particularly in a game PC, a separate soundcard is a must, as it increases performance by taking over 3D sound positioning calculations as well as improving realism of soundeffects. Currently there really is only one option for a card like this, Creative's X-Fi series. The Xtreme Gamer version is quite affordable and comes tailored for gamers. | ||
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Logitech G15 | Keyboards |
| The ultimate keyboard for gamers, complete with an above average Bling factor: we're of course discussing Logitech's G15 Gaming Keyboard. With 18 extra programmable keys and a status display this is the keyboard you want for games. Aside from the useful functions, the G15 looks great, is quite pleasant to type on and has an ergonomic zero-tilt design. Key backlighting ensures you see where you're typing even when in the dark and the best thing: the moment you launch a game, the Windows keys will be disabled so you don't drop back to the desktop right when you wanted to dodge the incoming rocket. | ||
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Razer DeathAdder | Mice |
| The DeathAdder is the newest mouse by gaming hardware specialist Razer. Instead of a lasersystem, the DeathAdder works with infrared lighting. The mouse can be setup to work at 450, 900 or 1800 DPI and can determine its position up to 1000 times a second. Even with a lower maximum resolution than the Copperhead of the same brand, the DeathAdder is capable of staying accurate at even higher speeds. This makes the DeathAdder the ideal choice for people who prefer to game with a relatively low DPI-setting, while moving the mouse fast over larger distances.The ultimate gaming mouse, in our opinion. | ||
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Corepad C1 Plus | Mouse mats |
| With a game PC the right mouse mat is as important as the right mouse. The Corepad C1 is the best according to us: this rubber mat has a cloth surface which offers enough feedback while still being pleasantly smooth. It works equally well with the high resolution, high sensitivity game style as with the high speed, lower resolution style others prefer. It works excellently with the Razer DeathAdder. | ||
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Creative Inspire T6100 | Speaker sets |
| The serious gamer has only two options when it comes to sound reproduction: either a good headset or a surround speakerset. We recommend Creative's Inspire T6100 surround set, which offers the best sound according to a recent test of budget and midrange speaker sets. Thanks to separate tweeters in the front speakers, the set offers remarkable detail, while it has enough power to seriously annoy your room mates an indeed your neighbours, if you crank open the volume too much. Something we, of course, would never recommend you do. | ||
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Samsung SyncMaster 226BW | Monitors |
| Gamers need three things from their screens: they have to be fast, as big as possible and preferably widescreen as this offers the most immersive experience. A monitor that offers all three of these factors would be Samsung's Syncmaster 226BW, with 22 inches, 1680x1050 resolution and excellent speed and image quality, this is one of the best screens money can buy. | ||
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3D chips
All-in-ones
Barebones
Case fans
Cases
CPU coolers
Game controllers
Graphics cards
Hard disks (external)
Hard disks (internal)
Keyboards
Mainboards
Memory cards
Memory modules
Mice
Monitors
Mouse pads
NAS devices
Notebooks
Optical drives
Power supplies
Powerline adapters
Printers
Processors
Routers
Servers
Sound cards
Speaker sets
Storage controllers
Systems
USB flash drives
Video card coolers
Webcams
